Opening Ceremony for 2016 Rio Olympic Games is Friday, August 5 on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 8, 2016 – NBC Olympics welcomes six new reporters to its coverage from Rio: NBC News correspondents Anne Thompson, Craig Melvin, Gadi Schwartz, and Jill Martin, along with NBC Sports Group’s Rutledge Wood (NASCAR features reporter) and Dalen Cuff (CSN New England anchor and reporter). Alex Flanagan, who has worked four prior Olympics for NBC, returns as a reporter. The Opening Ceremony for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is Friday, August 5 on NBC.

“Covering the Olympics calls for a wide range of reporting skills, allowing us to take advantage of tremendous depth within the NBC News and NBC Sports ranks,” said Jim Bell, Executive Producer, NBC Olympics. “This team will bring the constantly changing kaleidoscope of Rio Olympic action home for viewers to fully experience the Games.”

Dalen Cuff is an anchor and reporter for CSN New England, and serves as a college basketball analyst for NBCSN. He began his broadcasting career as the men’s basketball radio analyst for Columbia University, where Cuff ranks among the top shooters in the school’s history.

Alex Flanagan returns for her fifth consecutive Games with NBC Olympics. She previously served as a reporter in Vancouver in 2010 (sports desk), London in 2012 (diving), and Sochi in 2014 (biathlon and cross-country skiing), and was a host of CNBC and USA Network coverage during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Jill Martin is a contributor on TODAY, reporting on the latest fashion trends and entertainment stories. She has co-hosted the fourth hour of the show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, and has reported from the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Oscars and Emmys. Martin also serves a pregame, halftime, and postgame reporter on New York Knicks telecasts.

Craig Melvin is an MSNBC anchor and NBC News correspondent. He currently anchors MSNBC Live on Saturdays and Sundays, contributes reports for TODAY, and frequently serves as a host on Weekend TODAY. Prior to joining MSNBC in July 2011, Melvin was a weekend anchor for WRC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C.

Gadi Schwartz joined NBC News in March as a Los Angeles-based correspondent after spending three years as a reporter at the Los Angeles NBC affiliate (KNBC). Previously, he was a weekend anchor and investigative reporter in Albuquerque, N.M.

Anne Thompson is NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent. Her reports appear across all NBC News platforms including NBC Nightly News, TODAY, MSNBC and NBCNews.com. Before she was named to her current role in April 2007, Thompson served as NBC News’ chief financial correspondent. Thompson previously worked at the 2014 Sochi Olympics for NBC News.

Rutledge Wood serves as a features reporter for NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR coverage, where he tells the stories of the iconic raceways, unique towns, and enthusiastic fans that make NASCAR an American treasure. Last month, he traveled to his first Kentucky Derby and served as an event reporter for NBC Sports’ coverage of the event. Wood also co-hosts History Channel’s Top Gear.

THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE RIO OLYMPICS IS FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016 ON NBC

About NBC Olympics

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.